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58 year old rocker

#81
EricF - I think I might be messing with him as well. It's that old British humour (or course I spelt that right!)

I really do feel pretty much like a thirty year old and do the same things (except pick up 25 year old women). Downsizing because I'm wiser. Play better because I have time to play more. Try to help everyone. I actually feel like some character from a TV series - driving around to gigs and lessons without a care in the World, meeting interesting people, filling my time doing exactly what ever I want to. Being 63 is absolutely great! I'll take another 30 years of this if that's OK.
 
#82
i'm 55 years young and the youngest member in my current 5 piece band. what's a real trip is that, all of the guys that i'm playing with now, are exact the same guys that i started playing in a band with in junior high in 1967 (they were all a grade or two ahead of me), and while they were the best players from my school back then, they are now all professional 'seasoned' musicians.

our band plays 60's and 70's classic rock, and r&b, and our set list consists of most of the same songs that we played back when they were first released. playing, writing, producing and performing music has always been a passion for me, and i feel it is what has kept me young (or at least youthful thinking). and yes, i still have long hair, but its not so much for fashion anymore, but rather neglect.

in the past, i've been on tour, played arenas and large venues, had a few records with moderate success on the radio, met and sometimes worked with quite a few big name artists, but my take on it has always been, as long as you love what you're doing, just keep doing it as long as you possibly can. i still get excited about every gig, and having as much fun (possibly more) than i ever did, even if its playing at the local club for 150 people every other week. now, without roadies, the packing up after the gig is a drag, but its still more than worth it, since we're fortunate enough to have a pretty good following. you could say that i'm living in the past, but that's exactly where i want to be.
 
#83
Eight_Stringer said:
55 here, recently taken delivery of a Roland VB-99, not for everyone however the sounds and simulations are remarkable. Started playing Bass in 1975, this VB-99 can simulate any of my Basses from the era. Not 100% but close enough for me ( 80% ) ie Rick and Fenders.
Click to expand...

Not even 50 yet. But I'll note that as/if your programming chops get developed you can easily close that percentage gap. After some time you'll be looking at strings and pickups for those basses to make them sound like the VB-99 {or original V-Bass, which is what I use ; }
 
#84
Wonder what TB would look like if you could cut a search with age? What's the top topics with mature TBrs? And what's the hot topics for the 18-28 age group? I bet someone at Fender or Gibson knows.

I think younger people are much more affected by what everyone else is doing and older guys, like me, deliberately want to plough their own furrow. Perhaps we're counterculture.
 
#85
I can join in a couple months...in any case, I love old school tone, especially when it is clean, punchy, beefy, and fart-free. The problem is that old school gear practically never delivered it live, IMHO. As an earlier poster noted, if you go by the old AM car radio mixes, you'll get fooled.

In any case, if you are serious about gigging, go for a 4x10 or 2x12, though some of the 15's around are great. You will want at least 400 watts into a 4 ohm load. Modular is best for the money in the long run. My signature pretty well sums up my prejudices. I might put in a sincere plug for a Fender Road Worn Jazz or P-bass. Those cop the old school tone like none other, IME.
 
#87
You're right about old stuff - it was not what all players seem to dream it was. I had one of the original Marshal amps. We knew they were made in a nearby garage by one (?) guy and Jim just ordered him to make as many as he'd sold. At that stage probably 2 a week at most. But compared to the Vox combos, Fender combos and dreadful European amps they were powerful and looked so radical on top of what we thought ws huge - a 4x12's cab. We now know they were basically a Bassman headamp made with whatever parts were available in the UK at that time and the speakers were 4 25 watt celestions in the smallest box they'd fit. You just know we can do better now, so why would anyone want to go back there?
 
#88
Tactician said:
I think younger people are much more affected by what everyone else is doing and older guys, like me, deliberately want to plough their own furrow. Perhaps we're counterculture.
Click to expand...

Perhaps we're just wiser. I'm with you, brother. I'm not just plowing a furrow...I'm digging a hole. And it's my hole. So there! :)

P.S. I'm 58 and proud of it. But you knew that. :p

M. M.
 
#90
Once I'd passed 60, I started to take off the years. So now I'm nearly 63, I'm telling myself I'm nearly 57 and next year I'll be 56. Like you I probably don't look anything like 63 - and being European, I don't have the steak, burger and pizza diet you guys over pond seem to thrive on. Perhaps my counter culture use of dental services helps - having spent quite a bit on my teeth over the last ten years I don't have Austen Powers' knashers.

I'm sure that if you just get on with life and do the same gigs, play as many and as often as you did years ago, it will keep you younger looking and young persons' outlook.

My rules would be (no I don't obey them all the time):-
Don't complain about ANYTHING - ever. Fix the problem and move on.
Don't be WISE about anything - you'll sound old.
Don't ever say, when I was young - so you're not?
Or when I used to - so you don't now?
Or, don't ever say it's 'too' ANYTHING - 'too' loud, 'too' big, 'too' expensive, 'too' radical....no it isn't!
Don't ever dress like a 20 year old or use the language of a 20 year old. Some things are wrong, even when your 20.

I'm done. I'm sure you guys can come up with more for the list.

In other words don't live in the past, refer to the past, or compare to the past. Live for the day and expect tomorrow will be even better about everything - your playing, your equipment, the music, the audiences. Nothing is more ageing than trying to be the wise old man of yesterday. Of course it's not natural and comfortable - but life when you were 20 wasn't easy and comfortable - everything was new, difficult, risky and scary. You need to make today new, difficult, risky and scary to stay young.
 
#91
seamonkey said:
I wouldn't spend too much time trying to stay true to the sound of the period. The music is more important than the gear.
Click to expand...

Right - I suppose we could look at the physics of it, but what difference would that make? What it was then and what we remember it being are different. I'd go modular and if the neo stuff sounds the same or better than non-neo (and you can afford it), go with the neo. Start with the bass and test a few so the basic tones of the instrument unplugged are centered about where you want to be .. gotta be a thread on that somewhere.
 
#92
I'll be 55 soon and just got my first electric instrument.

Squire Affinity w/ gig bag: $ 50 in VG cond.
Crate BX-15: $50
cord,strap,Bass Guitar for Dummies: $25
Korg T-40 tuner/metronome: $28
new strings: haven't got that far yet,open to suggestions.

Cuirrently looking for an instructor.

Just b/c you are not young does not mean you can't try new things.
 
#94
Suggest you go for 30 minute lessons once every two weeks. I have all my teaching problems with missed lessons from adults who sign up for weekly lessons, then find they can't do all the practice between lessons - even though I tell them to do 2 weekly - and ring in two hours before they are due and cancel. And the other problem group do 2 weekly and then insist on having an hour's worth of instruction - same problem. I'm taking advance payments and getting over 20's onto MUS contracts after Christmas - behaving like that's disrespectful and I'm not inline to be a victim.

So 30 minutes once every two to three weeks will do you fine. If your teacher won't do that; find one who will. The guys who'll only do weekly or weekly AND at least an hour are only thinking of themselves - that doesn't bode well for your progress.
I have no problem with a student doing every three weeks or even telephoning in to book a lesson a week ahead. Anyone who tells you it isn't possible is BS'ing you (or completely full up anyway).
 
#95
Hello i am 54 and i know a little bit about bass gear, a great light amp you may want to try is the markbass jeff berlin model cost alot but will pay for itself in the end,also try a set of sadowsky flats and a tech 21 vt.pedal for that old school it will make any amp sound old school.
 
#96
I don't know how I missed this thread, interesting discussions!

Well.....I'll be 55 in a couple of weeks and started playing bass again about three years ago after a 30 year hiatus.

I've gone through a couple of amps and I settled on a Markbass 102P combo (LMII head and 2X10 speaker config). 43 lbs and GREAT tone. When I want a warmer tone I use a Tech21 VT pedal. Works very well.

I've been adding about a bass a year, so currently I'm using:

Fender P (MIM) with flats for a classic bass sound.

SBMM Sterling for a more modern "jazzy" sound.

Squier Tele bass for a dark thumpy sound.

I'm also taking bass lessons and playing with a couple of other folks. Having a lot of fun and also allows me to use "different parts of my brain." :D

Have fun!
 
#97
Charles Fields said:
Hello i am 54 and i know a little bit about bass gear, a great light amp you may want to try is the markbass jeff berlin model cost alot but will pay for itself in the end,also try a set of sadowsky flats and a tech 21 vt.pedal for that old school it will make any amp sound old school.
Click to expand...

I second this statement, I have one of the new light rigs, running 2 - 8" speakers at 4 ohms (300 watts) I run the VT pedal into the return and bypass the amps preamp. I feel I get a pretty solid "vintage type tone" from such a small set up. I just got back into it years ago,if someone told me I would be jamming on a whopping 25 lb bass rig, I would though they would have been kooky.
 
#98
Thanks for that advice.......

The instructor I contacted has rates of $25 per 1/2 hr. He has decent qualifications.

The calling ahead or once every three weeks sounds more realistic with my current work load. Great advice.....

I can always increase the frequency during the summer vacation when I have off from my school teaching duties.

I don't know how far I can go or how long it will take,but I always wanted to play classic rock cover tunes from my youth circa early 60's to late 70's and maybe even a country tune now and again.

I have no ambitions to play Carnegie Hall or record my own stuff. My ultimate ambition is playing in a smoke filled dive bar filled with drunken chicks. That suits my low-brow cheesy tastes just fine. :D
 
#99
greenboy said:
Not even 50 yet. But I'll note that as/if your programming chops get developed you can easily close that percentage gap. After some time you'll be looking at strings and pickups for those basses to make them sound like the VB-99 {or original V-Bass, which is what I use ; }
Click to expand...

Taken great impetus from your work here GB, doing two 15/6's. Looked at your VB kitted 6 string bass lurking in one of the posted pics. THe VB-99 is amazing, where are the best sites for other VB-99 users?

My head feels like its 18, though the mind part is using the valuable "experience" the extra 37 years.........

Thank you for all your efforts to date, Regards.
 
#100
We seem to have developed into two parallel threads here. One on playing over 50 and another about lighter cabs. GB - you've built a couple of cabs there pretty much like the ones I dissassembled because they were too darn heavy at 80lbs+. I'm down to the two 15" drivers in smaller cabs on their own and the HF units will be going into small cabs that will optional tops - large shoe box size. The 15" cabs are sealed and are about 26 x 20 x 15 now. I know they are much more inefficient like that but...... I might even squeeze in the HF units in tiny horns in the corners. I'm going for 10" cabs in the future and resign these 15" lumps to PA duty.

On the lesson for over 50's - happy to contribute to the discussion - I'll put a load of stuff up on my website over the holiday - which for me starts this Friday when the last lesson of the year finishes at 16.45! Sigh! Just getting the late payers reminders out, end of year reports, holiday music copies and repairs finished. What recession? Busiest year ever!

And just past my 63rd birthday which in 'ChrisWorld' counts as 57 (I decided to count backwards when I got to 60 and wait until someone said something. Most people tell me to drink up my hot chocolate, tighten up my PJs and dressing gown, it's time to leave Starbucks and go back to the home. So the plan has flaws and isn't universally accepted.)
 

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